LatinaLista — Child abuse seems to be in the headlines more and more every day. Whether it’s due to parents under stress from a bad economy or the fact that some people have no business being parents, the bottom line is that there are children, from infants to teens, who find themselves helplessly at the mercy of an angry adult.
The same was true back in 1973 when child abuse was a crime so unspeakable Americans did not speak of it at all and when a nun, who happened to be an emergency room nurse, by the name of Sr. Kathleen Clark founded Casa de los Niños.
Casa de los Niños was among the first crisis nurseries in the United States and located in Tucson, Arizona. From that initial beginning, Casa de los Niños has grown into a full-service agency that not only takes care of the children but makes sure the adults in their lives are equipped with the right tools, education, support and training to be loving and responsible parents.
As a result, more than 2,000 children a year are helped by Casa de los Niños. Their shelter is licensed to accommodate 48 children and they primarily care for children younger than 12 in stabilizing those with medical problems.
In addition to the shelter and unique family programs, the organization’s web site also offers downloadable fact sheets to educate everyone on how to recognize the symptoms of child abuse, how to report it and how to prevent it.
